Holding and disengaging gear for ships&#39; boats.



H. W. GAVIN.

HOLDING AND DISENGAGING GEAR FOR SHIPS BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-6,1914.

Patented May 11, 1915.

2 SHEETS+-=SHEET 1.

THE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHDTO-LITHO WASHINGTON H. W. GAVIN.

HOLDING AND DISENGAGING GEAR FOR SHIPS" BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-6,1914- Patented May 11, 1915.

2 sHE'ETs-sHEET 2.

1H5 NORRIS PETERS 00., PHOTO'LITHO. WASHINGTON. D. C,

HENRY WILLIAM GAVIN, OF EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND.

HOLDING AND DISENGAGING GEAR FOR SHIPS BOATS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1915.

Application filed October 6, 1914. Serial No. 865,298.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY WILLIAM GAVIN, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at Edinburgh, Scotland, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Holding and Disengaging Gear for Ships Boats, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to holding, and disengaging gear for ships boats,and has for its object a gear which will be certain and safe in itsaction, and will act automatically to release the boat.

As conducing to abetter understanding of the invention, it may here benoted that it is very important when lowering a boat, to insure that thetwo ends shall be released absolutely simultaneously as soon as the boatis waterborne. If one end of the boat was released before the other end,the result would be that the occupants would be thrown into the water.

By the holding and disengaging gear of the present invention, the twoends of the boat may be automatically released, that is to saysubstantially the entire boat must be waterborne (not one end only)before the automatic disconnection from the tackle can possibly takeplace.

In the accompanying drawings :Fig-

ures 1 and 2 are longitudinal sections of a ships boat, with my holdingand disengaging gear applied thereto, Fig. 1 showing the links at theends of the falls engaged by the gear, and Fig. 2 showing the links atthe ends of the falls disengaged therefrom. Fig. 3 is an end view of thehook member and crutch and adjacent parts on an enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawings, 1 are the eye pieces or links at the end ofthe falls 2, which are adapted to engage hook or claw members 3, pivotedin a stand 4 secured to the boat. One of these hook or claw members 3 ispivoted in a stand 4 at one end of the boat, and another hook or clawmember 3 is pivoted in a stand at the other end of the boat, so as toreceive the respective eyepieces or links 1 at the ends of the falls 2,or at the ends of a span suspended from the falls. The said hook members3 are in the form of segments, with a claw or hook at one end and afinger 5 at the other. The finger 5 is adapted to engage a depression ina sliding catch piece 6 which is coupled by a chain 27 connected to arod, a chain or wire 7, actuated by a weight 8 preferably located atabout the center of the boat; the corresponding catch piece 6 which isengaged by the finger 5 at the other end of the boat, being coupled tothe same weight 8 by a similar chain 27 and rod, chain or wire 7, insuch manner that the tendency of the weight 8 is to pull back bothcatches 6 simultaneously clear of the fingers 5 when the boat iswaterborne.

9 are springs which keep the sliding catch pieces 6 in the forwardposition, whenever the pulling action of the weight 8 is notcommunicated to the said slides 6 and pre vent the sliding catch piecesbeing accidentally jarred out of position. The hook or claw 3 at theother end of the segment, is adapted to take into the link 1 of thefalls 2 when the link is thrust into the hook, and when the boat is thussuspended from the falls 2, the pull on the hook 3 at one side of itspivot 10 keeps the finger 5 in powerful engagement with the slidingcatch 6 at the other'side of the pivot. It will thus be seen that theboat is securely held by the falls 2,

when the hooks 3 are in engagement with the links 1, and when the falls2 are kept in tension, by the weight of the boat hanging from them, butif this tension is slackened through the boat becoming waterborne, thepull with which the fingers 5 engage the catches 6 is relaxed, and thelinks 1 at the two ends of the boat are simultaneously releasedorejected from the hooks 3. The links 1 however are absolutely preventedfrom coming out of engagement with the hooks 3, until the tension on thefalls 2 at both ends of the boat is slackened, because the weight 8 willnot act to pull the catch pieces 6 clear, unless both catch pieces 6 areliberated at once.

With this degree of simplicity, the apparatus might be liable to workimperfectly, because the pull of one of the lines 7 might be greaterthan the pull of the other line 7 owing to the screw adjusters 28 notbeing screwed up equally; and if this was the case, then one slidingcatch piece might be pulled clear of the finger by the tension of theline 7, if a heavy sea struck one end of the boat sufiiciently stronglyto slacken the hold of the finger on the sliding catch. Consequentlysome additional means is required to insure that the hooks 3 shall bereleased absolutely simultaneously. In order to effect this, I provideat both ends of the boat,

a lever 19 working on a pivot 20 located below the hook member 3, towhich lever 19 is coupled a chain 21 also connected at any suitablepoint to the line 7 which leads to the weight 8. When the lever 19 isdepressed its pull on the line 7 entirely takes the pull off the slidingcatch pieces 6, and the springs 9 normally hold the said catch pieces inthe forward position, as shown in Fig. 1, the chain 27 being slack.Means are provided for operating this lever arm 19, a suitablearrangement being to provide a pivoted hand lever 23 at one end of theboat working in a quadrant 24; having a locking pin or spring catch forholding the lever 23 up or down. This hand lever has a cranked end 25bearing against the lever arm 19, so that the depression of the handlever 23, depresses the lever arm 19, or the lifting of the hand leverreleases it.

26 is a two-armed fork or crutch member at each end of the boat securedtothe same pivot 20 as that to which the lever arm 19 is secured, sothat the turning of the lever arm 19 turns the crutch member also. Thetwo armed fork of each crutch member straddles the hook or claw members3 so that while being clear of the hook it can be brought laterallyagainst the link 1, but in the pushed down position of the lever 19, thecrutch stands in a substantially upright position clear of the link,as'shown in Fig. 1. When, however, the hand lever 23 is raised, the pullof the weight 8 tends to draw both levers 19 upward, and this causes thewhole pull of the weight to press each crutch 26 laterally against therespective links 1. The action of this device will be describedpresently.

The entrance tothe hook member of the segment, when in the operativeposition, is closed by means of a gravity trigger 11, the end of thelatter bearing against the inside of the nose of the hook 3 in suchmanner as to allow the link 1 to be inserted into the hook 3, butprevent the link 1 accidentally coming out when the falls are slackunder any ordinary movement. The gravity triggers 11 are suitablypivoted at 12 to some part of the boat in such manner that they can befreely swung to and fro, their counterweights 13 keeping them againstthe hooks to prevent the links escaping accidentally. If however it isdesired to unhook without throwing the gear out of action, this can bedone by turning the link in the hook and pressing the trigger inward. 11 is a hinged locking member to further guard the exit of the link 1from the hook 3. This can be turned over the trigger 11, and when soturned absolutely prevents this unhooking action taking placeaccidentally.

The lines 7 (to which the chains 27 are coupled) proceed from thesliding catches 6 to the weight 8, which is located at or near midlength of the boat, under the thwarts or seats along one side of theboat, or under a longitudinal seat, or through a longitudinal pipe 15.The weight may be arranged to be guided within a cylinder or betweenguide bars, or if preferred a weight actuated drum 16 might be used, tothe periphery of which the ends of the two lines 7 would be attached.

The whole of the mechanism is inclosed in a suitable casing so as toprevent any one tampering with it, or accidentally treading on it. Theguards for protecting the sliding catches are shown at 17. These slidingcatches 6, can each have a lever 18 projecting through the guard 17, tofacilitate the sliding catches 6 being brought back into engagement withthe finger 5, when rengaging the links 1 with the hooks 3, this smalllever also acting as an indicator to show the man in charge whether thecatches are in the forward or in the drawn back position; The levers 18however are so pivoted that they can be folded out of the way when notrequired for use so as to be protected by the guard 17.

The mode of action is as followsz-Assuming the boat is on the chocks,the position of the parts is as shown in Fig. 1. The entire pull of theweight is on the hand lever 23 (which is locked in the quadrant-2 1),and not upon the sliding catches 6. The chain 27 therefore is slack asshown. To launch the boat the clavits are swung outward, moving the boatoff the chocks, and the boat now hangs in the outboard position readyfor lowering. Before actually being lowered by the falls 2, the handlever 23 is raised, so that the entire pull of the weight now comes uponthe levers 19, and the links 1 kept in tension by the falls 2, pressagainst the crutches 26, so that the levers 19 cannot be pulled up bythe weight. The chains 27 therefore still remain slack, and the actionof the weight is not communicated to the sliding catch pieces 6 at all.This condition of things continues to obtain, so long as either of thelevers 19 is held in the depressed position by a link 1 in tensionpressing against a crutch 26, and therefore the action of the weightcannot be communicated to the chains 27 acting on the sliding catchpieces 6 at either end of the boat. Immediately however the boat iswaterborne, and the tension on both links 1 slackened simultaneously,both crutches 26 are released, the levers 19 fly upward by the pull ofthe weight, the chains 27 are put into tension, the catch pieces arepulled back, and the links 1 are simultaneously ejected from the hooks8, thus leaving the boat clear of the falls. If for instance, a heavysea should strike one end of the boat so that the pull of the links 1 atone end of the boat be slackened, the segments 3 at that end will weightof the boat is on one hook 8, or the other, it cannot be released fromeither hook, and so remains suspended from the falls 2. The releasedposition is shown in Fig. 2.

The slack in the chains 27 (Fig. 1) made by depression of the levers 19allows a'certain amount of license and play to the crutches 26, thusobviating any very fine adjustment of the screw adjusters 28.

To raise the boat from the water, the weight is raised by depressing thehandle 23, and held in the raised position by locking the handle in itsquadrant. The sliding catches 6 slide outward, and the segments 3 areturned into position, so that the fingers 5 engage them. The pull of theweight is now borne by the hand lever 23 at one end of the boat, thecrutch at that end being held in an upstanding position, while thecrutch at the other end is free, so as to present no obstacle to thelinks taking into the hooks. The hinged locking members 14 being turnedclear, the links at the end of the falls are now made to take into therespective hooks 3, the gravity triggers 9 permitting of this, butpreventing the links accidentally coming out again. The hinged lockingmembers 14 are turned back into the closed position, and the boat is nowset for nonautomatic working, so that if a heavy sea did strike it whilebeing raised, it would not be released. Thus when the gear is set forautomatic working I insure that the boat is freed at both endssimultaneously, instantaneously and automatically, and the falls cannotbe reengaged by the hooks until the sliding catches are brought back totheir former position. Or when the gear is set for non-automaticworking, as when the boat is lying on the chocks, or when the boat isbeing raised from the water, or when it is not desired that the boatshould leave the falls automatically when waterborne, then the links 1cannot be accidentally disengaged from the hooks.

I declare that what I claim is l. A holding and disengaging gear forships boats, comprising in combination, a stand at each end of the boat,a hook or claw member pivoted on each stand, and adapted when closed toengage a link at the end of the falls, a finger integral with the hookor claw member, slidably mounted catch pieces in connection with whichthe fingers are kept in powerful engagement when the boat is suspendedfrom the falls so as to hold the hook member in the closed position, anelbow lever at each end of the boat working on a pivot located adjacentto the hook member against the upper arm of which the links at the endsof the falls abut, and weight actuated lines each bifurcated at the endinto two branches, one of which branches is coupled to the lower arm ofthe elbow lever and the other branch to the sliding catch pieces in suchmanner as to take the entire weight off these catch pieces by the linksat the end of the falls abutting against the said upper arm of the elbowlevers, whereby so long as the links are kept in tension by the falls,the elbow levers can not be pulled up by the weight, but immediately theboat is waterborne and the tension on the falls thereby slackened, theelbow levers are released, the pull of the weight being therebycommunicated to the sliding catch pieces, thus pulling them clear of thehook members.

2. A holding and disengaging gear for ships boats comprising incombination, a stand at each end of the boat, a hook or claw memberpivoted on each stand and adapted when closed to engage the link at theend of the falls, slidably mounted catch pieces for holding the hookmembers in the closed position, a lever arm at each end of the boatworking on a pivot located adjacent to the hook member, a fork or clutchmember secured to the same pivot as that to which the lever arm issecured, but adapted to straddle the hook member, so that while beingclear of the hook it can be brought laterally against the link whenengaged by the hook, and weight actuated lines each bifurcated at theend into two branches, one of which is coupled to the lever arms, andthe other to the sliding catch pieces.

ing each clutch, and weight actuated linesbifurcated at the ends intotwo branches, one branch being coupled to the lever arms and the otherto the sliding catch pieces, in such manner that the latter branch liesslack when the lever is pressed down, so that the entire pull of theweight is borne by the links abutting against the clutch member.

4. A holding and disengaging gear for ships boats comprising incombination, a stand at each end of the boat, a hook or claw memberpivoted on each stand and adapted when closed to engage the links at theend of the falls,

slidably mounted catch pieces for holding the hook members in the closedposition when the falls are in tension, a pivoted fork or clutch memberlocated adjacent to each link when engaged by the hook, a lever arm foroperating each clutch, weight actuated lines bifurcated at the ends intotwo branches, one of which is so coupled to the lever arms and the otherto the sliding catch pieces that the slackening of the tension on thelinks of the falls at both ends of the boat releases both clutches andallows the lever arms to fly upward by the pull of the weight on thebranch of the line actuated thereby, while the other branch of the lineis thereby put into tension so as to pull the catch pieces clear of thehooks and causethem to turn into the open position.

5. In a holding and disengaging gear for ships boats, the combinationwith catch pieces that hold the hook members in the closed position whenthe falls are in tension, pivoted clutch members against which the linksof the falls press when kept in tension by the falls, and lever arms foractuating the clutch members, of weight actuated lines bifurcated at theend into two branches coupled to the sliding catch pieces and the leverarms, respectively, the branch that is coupled to the sliding catchpieces normally lying slack, but is tightened to bring the pull of theweight on it at the moment when the tension of the falls at both ends ofthe boat is simultaneously relaxed.

6. In a holding and disengaging gear for ships boats, the combinationwith catch pieces that hold the hook members in the closed position,when the falls are engaged thereby and in tension, pivoted clutchmembers against which the links of the falls press when kept in tensionby the falls, and weight actuated pivoted lever arms for operating theclutch members, of hand operated means for pressing down the saidpivoted lever arms and holding them down so as to move the clutch clearof the link at the end of the falls, thus setting the gear fornonautomatic working, or for liberating the said levers so that theentire pull of the weight is borne by the links at the end of the fallspressing forcibly against the clutches, thus setting the gear forautomatic working.

7. In a holding and disengaging gear for ships boats, the combinationwith catch pieces that hold the hook members at each end of the boat inthe closed position when the falls are engaged thereby and in tension,pivoted clutch members against which the links of the falls press whenkept in tension by the falls, and pivoted lever arms for operating theclutch members, of a weight actuated line bifurcated at the end into twobranches which are respectively coupled to the pivoted lever arm andcatch piece at one end of the boat, a second line bifurcated at the endinto two branches which are coupled to the pivoted lever arm at theother end of the boat, and a single actuating weight common to bothlines, whereby the pressing down of the lever arm at either end of theboat raises the weight and prevents the action of the weight beingcommunicated to {)he sliding catch pieces at both ends of the oat.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name this 7 day ofSeptember 1914;, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY WILLIAM GAVIN.

WVitnesses OSCAR PENRICE, CONSTANT GUERARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

